Of a Flame
by Axisha
Summary: Harry and Ginny love eachother but does it have more to do with destiny? A locket, a love, a curse and a happy ending. enjoy.
1. Default Chapter

Chapter 1  
Ron's P.O.V. "Ron, what the hell are you saying? You're mumbling." Hermione asked, her face incredibly close to mine. Or so it seemed to me. Things we have done together since the first year seem incredible now, as if they were meant in a different way than they had for the last six years. I even overlooked the fact that she swore.  
  
"Sorry, got something in my throat. I... er... think I got... think I don't get.... problem twenty two." My throat was dry as sand paper and I was croaking out the words. What I had meant to say was will you go to the Christmas Ball with me but somehow I asked about question twenty two, which I hadn't so much as looked at yet, and as I glanced down at my paper, realized I understood fully.  
  
"You're joking. That's review from like, the second year. She was kidding but I felt explicitly stupid.  
  
"Oh yeah, sorry... er..." I paused as I quickly skimmed the paper for something that I might possibly not get. I saw a new question that I in fact, did not get and tried to tell her, again croaking. "Question thirty-one. I don't remember the second ingredient."  
  
"Oh. I believe it's rat's spleen." I smiled.  
  
"What are you smiling at?"  
  
"Nothing." Actually, I was wondering how she could make such an ugly word like rat spleen sound so sexy when she said it.  
  
Harry was oblivious to the whole thing. He was deeply absorbed in a book entitled Broken Balls: When Fortunes Turn Foul which had been assigned by Professor Trelawny who teaches divination. Harry had endured even more death fortunes this year, with a whole book of them for the Professor to consult to.  
  
Hermione wrinkled her nose, another thing that she's done since the first year that's now extremely sexy. "Have either of you got dates to the Christmas Ball yet?" I think I had a small heart attack at that moment.  
  
Harry finally snapped back from the book. "Huh?" he asked, not even aware which of us had asked it.  
  
"I was just wondering if either of you had found dates to the Christmas Ball yet." She sounded casual. But I was silently choking, desperately fighting my throat from asking her in front of the entire common room.  
  
"Yeah." Said Harry off-hand. To my great relief, she looked completely non- abashed and turned her head to me.  
  
"How about you?" She asked me. I cleared my throat several times and answered with a meek, "No."  
  
"Mmmmmmm." She made a sign of understandment.  
  
Hermione's P.O.V.  
  
For some reason Ron seemed rather stiff. And maybe it was just me but he seemed to be sitting as close to me as possible. There were several feet of couch left beyond him so I could think of no reason for this. But it made me feel good; he was warm and comforting. I frowned. What was I saying? I liked Ron practically sitting in my lap? I certainly didn't not like it. I shook my head. I must be really tired.  
  
I asked about the Christmas Ball just then. I wasn't surprised Harry had a date; I had a pretty good idea who it was. But I was dreading the answer from Ron. What if he already had a date? I shook my head again. What was I thinking? Why did I all the sudden care?  
  
Then I believe Ron choked on something because he grabbed his neck and made a small sound in the back of his throat.  
  
"No." He said quietly, then went quickly back to his papers, and turned red. Which I assumed was from almost choking to death.  
  
I blushed. I had this desperate urge to ask Ron. But there's no way I would because I'm a wimp. Well, you've known him for six years, you freak, why would it be embarrassing to ask him to some stupid little dance? Huh? Do you LIKE him? Shut up! Of course I don't like him! Well... maybe a little bit... I hated it when I had to argue with the voice in the back of my head. Because it always seemed to win. I hit my forehead and got up.  
  
"I'm gonna go finish in the library. See you at dinner. Bye." I picked up my bag and walked out, and gave a small wave to Ron because Harry obviously didn't even know I was leaving. Ron smiled and waved back.  
  
Harry's P.O.V.  
  
I was trying to involve myself in my book because it was so funny to watch Ron and Hermione sit there and be embarrassed. It was so obvious to me, at least, that they fancied each other and they seemed like they were trying to ignore it. Ron was choking. Hermione was shaking her head over and over, staring at the floor.  
  
A couple minutes went by with me trying not to laugh and then Hermione got up and left. She waved and said good bye but I pretended I did not notice.  
  
As soon as she was out of the room, Ron leaned back on his couch and took a deep breath. I couldn't help it anymore. I threw my book down and started laughing hysterically. Ron glared at me.  
  
"What?!" He asked, blushing.  
  
"You two are so funny! Why don't you just get on your knees and beg for her to go to the ball with you?"  
  
"Shut up!" His face was redder than his hair which was strange because there are few things redder than Ron's hair.  
  
"I'm sorry! It's just so funny!"  
  
"Well, you don't have to talk so loud!" He was glaring, but a small smile was at the corner of his mouth.  
  
"You bloody idiot, there's no one in here!"  
  
He couldn't find anything to say to that and we both went back to what we were doing.  
  
After a good half hour, I spoke again. "Ron, go ask her to the ball. Just ask her and if she says no you shouldn't feel stupid because she's your friend and you've known her for so long.  
  
"Oh, yeah, I won't feel stupid. It'll be fine, I won't feel stupid." He said sarcastically but he walked out the door anyways muttering I won't feel stupid, of course I won't feel stupid.  
  
I laughed and went back to my book, now reading about how you could tell if someone's death was coming by watching how they walk into a room. I knew this would come up with Trelawny; it was only a matter of days.  
  
Hermione's P.O.V.  
  
I was sitting in the library, staring at the wall. The last thing on my mind was my homework. I was, for some insane reason, picturing me and Ron at the ball, dancing and Harry and his date dancing next to us and we were all talking and laughing and stuff. It was stupid, really, we always laugh together. Or at least we have before. Lately I've been feeling very stupid around Ron lately. He always seemed so much better, so... not mine. I hated it when he talking to any other girl. Yesterday I had thrown some kind of plant at this Ravenclaw in Herbology and it had wrapped her up and she was sent to the hospital wing to be cut out of the viney trap. I had thrown it from behind a shelf of large flowers and they had hid me from view of the Professor. Ron hadn't even looked affected by it and went straight back to work so I had felt much better and went back to planting my Harumplfuss.  
  
Someone came around the corner and I looked up. Yeeeeeees!!! I screamed silently. Outwardly, I just smiled and said hi.  
  
"Hi." Woooooooo! Smooth Hermione! I hate that voice! I shook it away and concentrated on Ron.  
  
"Um... hi. What are you doin?" He shoved his hands in his pocket and looked at my bag sitting at my side with everything still in it.  
  
"Nothing... I was going to some homework but I got distracted." Oooooooooohhhhhhhhh my god! I feel so stupid...  
  
"Hey... willyagotheballywitme?" I believe he had said something in a foreign language. But Ron didn't know any foreign languages. I knew what I would have liked him to have said. But that was too much to hope for.  
  
Ron's P.O.V.  
  
How come Harry noticed everything? I thought I was being totally unobvious but he still guesses. I wouldn't feel stupid. I almost laughed at the stupid remark Harry had made. He was right about the part that I shouldn't feel stupid but I defiantly would. Hermione could already have a date for one thing. She had never said she didn't. Or she might think it was weird to go to the dance with one of her best friends. Or... I couldn't think of anything else.  
  
I crashed into a suit of armor and it flung me against the wall. "Be a might more careful, ye student." I think I mumbled an apology. I don't remember.  
  
I realized I had walked right past the library door and I retraced my steps back for two whole corridors. I walked in and Hermione was in a small poufy chair staring at the floor. She looked up when I walked around a shelf of books and I asked her about what she was doing. If she was doing homework, why is she staring at the wall with all of her school things in her bag still? She just said she got distracted, you freak! Oh yeah? By WHAT, may I ask? No, that's none of your business! Rigggggghhhhht! Grrrrrrrr. I hate arguing with that damned voice!  
  
Then all the sudden it just came rushing out of my mouth. "Willyagotheballywitme?" Well, okay, it kind of came tumbling out of my mouth... rushing implies smooth.  
  
She looked at me blankly for a moment. Then something filled her eyes... hope? No, I believe it's called disgust, Ronnikins. Shut that gaping hole in your face! The gaping hole in my face?! Look at your face! You still haven't closed it from that oh-so-smooth comment about a...what was it? Bally? I meant to say ball! And you know it!  
  
"Will I- will I what?" She was still looking at me with her wonderful eyes and it didn't rightly look like disgust. I decided to just say it.  
  
"Sorry. Will you go to the Christmas Ball with me?" I was leaning against the wall, with my arms folded and to my almighty surprise... she grinned.  
  
"Me?! No! I mean yes I would, but me?" I let out a huge sigh of relief and straitened up.  
  
"You mean- you will?" I was smiling too and she had stood up also, her hair over one shoulder.  
  
"Of course! Thank you so much!"  
  
"Er... thank me? for what?"  
  
"Yeah, well I'm a wimp and I'd have never asked you and-"she gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. "Woops." She blushed. It looked cute.  
  
I couldn't even say anything. I just kept on grinning like an idiot and we both walked out of the library together, attracting odd looks from some Hufflepuff first years, who were trying to study.  
  
Harry's P.O.V.  
  
The portrait hole opened and I looked up, expecting to see Ron come in, all alone and tell me how he wimped out and stood at the door and watched her instead of asking her.  
  
Instead, he walked in with Hermione directly following, and both were smiling. George had heard the entire conversation and when they walked in, he let out a loud cat call and even Ron laughed. Hermione glared at George and came down to sit by me, along with Ron. I don't think they actually realized they were sitting by me though. I was completely ignored and after a while, I got sick of it and left. After all, it was a Hogsmead weekend and I had my own date to attend to. Of which Ron knew nothing about for my safety.  
  
I went up to the dormitories and changed into warmer robes, for the cold winter weather I knew there would be in the village. I had to get Ginny a gift. Well, I had to get everyone else a gift too, but I wasn't worried about that. I had no idea what so ever about what to get her. I wasn't going to get her something like candy or flowers that would be gone in a couple days time. I wanted something lasting, which would stay with her even if for some reason I wasn't. I shivered, remembering how the Death Eaters were getting more and more powerful, and the Dark Lord was stronger, even, than his first reign of terror, which had stopped suddenly sixteen years ago. I could tell that Voldermort hated me more than ever, because my scar hurt at least once a day. And in hating me, he also hated anything I would happen to grow fond of, including Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys of which I held so dear. Voldemort would do anything to get me, I knew and if he had to kill the entire Weasley family, plus Hermione, he wouldn't so much as blink. Maybe I shouldn't do this. I forced those thoughts to the back of my mind.  
  
My problems returned to what to get Ginny. I thought of jewelry. A very nice piece might do good but only if I could nothing else on the face of the planet. It would have to be very beautiful to even be worthy of the wonderful, bright, smiling face lingering in my mind.  
  
During all this thinking, I was ready to go. I went down the stairs hoping Ron and Hermione hadn't left yet. They hadn't, both still leaning back on the couch, incredibly relaxed and not bickering. They were talking calmly, a thing I barely remembered.  
  
"Come on guys, Hogsmead awaits the loving-"Ron chucked a heavy Arithmacy book at my head, and I ducked, laughing.  
  
"Okay, just a moment." He turned toward Hermione and said something quietly, and she nodded. They both got up.  
  
"By Harry! See you in a bit!" She waved and made her way up the girls stairway.  
  
"Well well! That went well didn't it?! See? And if wasn't for me, you wouldn't have done it!" We were both walking up the staircase now, and Ron smiled at my words.  
  
"Yeah, very well. And yes, thank you for making me go do it. I'm really glad now. But for a second there, I thought I was going to choke to death before I could do it." He shook his head.  
  
"No kidding! You were like, hacking and you have NO idea how much will power it took for me to keep from laughing until she was gone. What happened in the library?" He seemed to suddenly remember something and his look went grave.  
  
"Harry, could I talk to you for just a minute... about Ginny?" He looked concerned, not mad so that was a relief but how did he know?  
  
"Well, yeah... why?"I tried to sound casual.  
  
"Do you like her? I mean... I don't know, it just seems like..." he stopped. I decided to just tell him and hope to escape with my life.  
  
"Okay, Ron, I'm gonna tell you this but you have to swear not to hurt me to bad. Yes, I do like Ginny. A lot. And we... have been, kinda, going out for like, a month now and... don't hurt me." He looked absolutely deadly for a minute and I was sure I was going to get clobbered. Then his expression changed to thoughtful.  
  
"So, I'm not mad or anything but I was just wondering... how serious is this? I mean, between you and my baby sister? You're my best friend and all but it's still a little..."  
  
"Well..." I didn't really know what to say. I didn't suppose it would go over to well if I said I loved her.  
  
"Go ahead, you can say it." He looked completely understanding, not angry and looked almost calm.  
  
"Okay... well, I... I love her, Ron. She's so beautiful and wonderful and great and..." All the sudden I blushed. Please don't let Ron murder me. But instead, he smiled.  
  
"Now, if you had told me that two hours ago, I would have laughed in your face... but after me and Hermione... ya know... well, anyways I completely understand. Just know that if you hurt her in any way shape or form, I will kill you my god damn self. You will wish you had never been-"I cut him off before this got ugly.  
  
"Ron! I have no intention of hurting her! In any way shape or form! I would never do that!" I waited and watched his face. He looked like he desperately wanted to finish his threat but he restrained himself on account of the fact that he knew full well I would never do anything like that.  
  
Since he looked contented after a few moments... I went on. "I know you've only officially been with Hermione for like, an hour now but while you were sitting on the couch, did you get this incredible urge to kiss her or hug her or... or... anything? Anything just to be a bit closer, anything to make sure you weren't dreaming? Cauz no matter what those rumors are, and mind you, in a second I'll want to know what they are, but that can wait. No matter what those rumors are, I would never disrespect your sister. Ever. She's not just my girlfriend, Ron... she's..." I stopped. I didn't have a way to finish that sentence. But Ron looked completely overwhelmed, yet pleased with my answer.  
  
"Okay. And yes, that whole mushy thing about hugging and kissing and shit on the couch is true. But lets get down to Hogsmead so I can... never mind." Ron seemed to have had enough with the 'mushy' stuff, although I could have continued for a good hour.  
  
Ron's P.O.V.  
  
After talking with Harry, I felt really stupid. He had a way with words, because I had been thinking almost the exact same thing but had no ideas how to say it then he just goes and says it. About Ginny. Of course I didn't believe the rumors, but they bugged me none the less. I always felt like cursing whoever I heard spreading them into next week.. Harry actually did... love my little sister. Love. Before this year, love was some word we paired with good food or candy ('I love that kind of chocolate!') or other incredibly stupid things. But I actually did love Hermione. For longer than I probably knew, I realized. I thought about Ginny. It seemed just a little tiny bit ago that she was the little girl with a crush on Harry. It seemed just a little bit ago she was my little sister who was mouthy and yes, obnoxious, but now I could tell that she was way older and more mature than that. She had a boyfriend, (my best friend) that had just he loved her. It was so weird.  
  
My thoughts went back to Hermione. She was great. Oh no! I remembered I had to get her a Christmas present. Me and Harry were walking down the path toward Hogsmead, so I asked him panic stricken.  
  
"Harry... I just thought... what am I going to get Hermione for the Christmas?"  
  
"Yeah, I was thinking that a while ago too. I don't want to get flowers or candy cauz they'll be gone in a couple days. It needs to last."  
  
"I never thought of that... I agree. But I can't think of a thing." We were both silent... thinking as hard as we could about what to get our girls. I thought of jewelry. "What about jewelry? We could get something really cool. But there's only one place in Hogsmead to get jewelry and it's really expensive, I think. I only have the eight galleons that I saved."  
  
Harry thought for just a moment. "Well, if we buy something expensive, that doesn't mean it'll be better or more meaningful so I bet we can find some cheap things." He was rubbing his chin, with his other hand stuffed deeply in his pocket, and staring at the ground ahead of us.  
  
"Yeah. But we should look in all the stores before we decide on anything. And how are we going to... not have them around us? We'll need to tell them we have holiday shopping to do. But then they'll know it's for them. Oh well. It's not like we wouldn't get them presents or anything anyways..." I was more thinking out loud than actually talking to Harry, and Harry wouldn't have heard some guy spouting the secrets of life, let alone me. 


	2. The Christmas Ball

I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER AND IM NOT SAYING IT MORE THAN ONCE SO DON'T YOU EVEN DARE SUE ME OR SOME SUCH NONESENSE!!!!!! I OWN THE PLOT ONLY!!!!!  
  
Hi everybody I know the paragraphs seem huge plz don't stop reading it because of that!!!!  
  
I hope I get reviews and on the next chapter ill make the paragraphs smaller..... this is my first fic so I know it kinda sux but be patient with me.  
  
If anyone reviews ill thank you each individually cauz that always makes me feel special when the writers do that so.... yes  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Ginny's P.O.V.  
  
I was going to hyperventilate. What was I going to get Harry for Christmas?  
  
"Hermione? What am I going to get Harry? I can't think of ANYTHING!" She looked up and smiled at the distressed look on my face.  
  
"I don't know. And I don't know what to get Ron. I think I'm going to stress out." By now we were entering Hogsmead and I saw Harry and Ron entering the Three Broomsticks.  
  
"Me too. What are you supposed to get a guy for Christmas?"  
  
"Well, for Harry he might like something to do with Sirius or his family. And Lupin. You know, photos and such. I say we just don't meet them there and go and look for things. They'll realize what were doing and leave too." We quickly changed our direction to a small gift shop and opened the door.  
  
The door was lined with dozens of small bells and there was a cheerful tinkling when we walked in.  
  
"Hello. How may I help you? Are you looking for anything in particular?" A small, thin man walked out of a door they hadn't noticed. He was wearing black robes that seemed almost as old as him. He couldn't have been more than five foot tall and his beard was almost to his waist. As the friendly old man walked toward us, I noticed he limped on one side.  
  
"Er... no. Well, were looking for gifts for some friends. Some guy friends. And we don't know what to get them."  
  
Normally it would have been weird to just tell some stranger that but the old man just smiled and led them to yet another door that they hadn't noticed.  
  
The room behind the door was much different then I had expected and I couldn't believe I hadn't been in this store before. It was made of white marble, and there were shelves of a dark, beautiful wood covered with knick- knacks.  
  
"Well, do you have any idea what they like? Hobbies, hopes, things that they don't have?" We thought for a second and I replied first with Hermione short after me.  
  
"Yeah. He doesn't really have a family. And he likes Quidditch."  
  
"Well, Ron likes the Chudley Cannons. And a hobby of both of ours seems to be fighting with each other..." she was kidding but they did fight all the time. Then of course, they'd kiss and make up.  
  
But for some reason, the old man just looked at me. He looked shocked but excited and just stared. After a moment, the realized he was staring and shook himself.  
  
"Yes yes... what did you say your boy liked?"  
  
Hermione blushed at him calling Ron 'her boy' and she answered, "Um... the Chudley Cannons."  
  
"Right. Follow me. We'll attend to your gift first." He smiled at me again, and for a guy that looked older than the hills, he practically ran to the back of the room and through another door.  
  
"Okay, you said he didn't have blood family?" I didn't recall saying that he didn't have blood family but that seemed to fit because he was practically family to us Weasleys.  
  
"Yeah. I was thinking pic-"he cut me off.  
  
"Well, how about this?" he held up a silver chain with small links and hanging off of it was a tiny oval locket. I took it gently out of the old man's hands and looked at closely. It had ivy and flowers carved into it, and although it was very clean and well taken care of, it looked older even, than the man that ran the store.  
  
"It's perfect!" How do you open it?" I was struggling to unclasp it but it held firm.  
  
"You have to find the picture you want to put in it and... this sounds silly but it's true... and then put the locket, along with the pictures, into a box and wait. If you do it before you go to sleep one night, and open it in the morning, that will be enough time." Hermione was staring at the old man like she thought he was absolutely insane but for some reason, I trusted him.  
  
"Okay. I'll buy it." The old man smiled.  
  
"Okay. But it's been sitting in here for decades and no one has bought it so you can have it for free. And now we can find something to this young lady's taste." He turned his attention back to Hermione and led us back to the main room then through another door into a new room. I looked out the window and saw` Harry and Ron walking toward the store we were in and I freaked out.  
  
"Hermione! They're coming in! I'll go keep them from seeing you in here-"I dashed into the main room and went out the entrance door. Ron and Harry were right in front of me.  
  
"Hi! Have you guys seem Hermione? I'm looking for her!" I herded them away from the door to the store and Ron looked at me worriedly.  
  
"I thought she was with you!"  
  
"She was! Don't' worry, nothing happened or anything, but we just split up because we wanted to go to different stores. Let's go look in Honeydukes!" they were giving me weird looks but I ignored them.  
  
"O... Okay..." Ron looked confused but he walked toward the sweet store anyway.  
  
"Harry! Why don't you go and try and find Hermione while me and Ginny go get something to eat!" He was staring at Harry and trying to tell him something that I couldn't quite figure out.  
  
Harry stared at him blankly for a second than was a look of understanding came into his eyes and he said, "Ooooh! Yeah. I think I will. Bye you guys!"  
  
"Ron, I will kill you if you even start lecturing me about me and Harry! You seriously need to get over-"  
  
"Ginny! Get a grip! I'm not going to! I just want to go and get something to eat with you! Is that a crime?" He looked wounded and I felt bad for telling him off so quickly.  
  
"Oh. Sorry. Let's go."  
  
Harry's P.O.V.  
  
I was glad Ron had thought of a way to give me awhile to try and find Ginny something. My first choice in stores was the jewelry store. I pushed the door in, and I was momentarily blinded by all the precious stones in the display cases in front of me. I blinked a few times and noticed a younger witch walking toward me.  
  
"Can I help you find anything?" She looked friendly enough.  
  
"Um... no. I'm just looking." She smiled.  
  
"Okay. Just ring the bell if you decide you need help." She turned and disappeared through a door behind the counter. He looked around. The immediate things he saw he would never get Ginny. They all had huge, gaudy stones or to many stones. A lot of them were pretty but just not something he could picture on her. He looked at display case after display case and as he got farther and farther back in the store, they all seemed more and more like what Professor Trelawny might wear. He was completely out of hope as he reached the last, sad looking display case and looked in.  
  
There were a few last pieces of tacky or ugly necklaces and bracelets, but on a raised square, covered in satin, there was a thin, silver necklace made to look like a chain of leaves and flowers. The center of the flowers had tiny shimmering sapphires imbedded in them and he knew it was perfect. It wasn't, tacky, gaudy, ugly, huge or fake looking. It was perfect.  
  
As if on cue, the young clerk appeared again from the door she had exited through and asked, "Are you ready?"  
  
He was a little taken aback at her bluntness, but replied, "Yeah, I'd like this one."  
  
He pointed at the silver bauble and she smiled.  
  
"Yes, I rather like that one better than the rest myself. It's perfect." She opened the back of the display case and slid the necklace out. She opened her mouth, presumably to tell him how much it cost, but before she could another door burst open that he was positive hadn't been there before and a short, balding man came bustling in looking mortified.  
  
"Almost missed it! Waiting for seventeen years and almost missed it! I can't believe myself!" He shooed the girl out of the way and started wrapping the necklace in white tissue paper and carefully placed it in a black box with the jeweler's name on it in gold lettering.  
  
"Ah! Here you are! This is for a female friend of yours I presume?"  
  
"I-uh... yeah. That's right." Harry was a bit surprised. Waited for seventeen years? For what?  
  
"Good, good! And you're Harry Potter of course. This will look great with her red hair, I am sure." And with that, he swept back through the door which promptly disappeared.  
  
Harry stared at the place where the door had been. That man knew his name, when he had come, and the color of Ginny's hair. And then had not made him pay for it. He was thoroughly confused.  
  
"Um.... Do you want me to pay for this?" I said loudly. I waited a few moments, got no reply and then walked out of the door, leaving a few galleons on the counter.  
  
Hermione's P.O.V.  
  
I had Ron's gift safely wrapped up in my bag as I walked out of the door and went to find the others. I spotted Harry coming out of a little store that I didn't know what it sold and I ran toward him.  
  
"Hey Hermione. Where are the others?" He said.  
  
"Dunno. I'm looking for them to. Did you find something for Ginny?" We walked into the Three Broomsticks and saw Ron and Ginny drinking Butterbeer and talking quietly.  
  
"Yeah. Shhh." I sat down next to Ginny across from Ron and Harry sat down across from Ginny.  
  
"So, what are you all getting me?" Ron grinned and I chucked a bottle cap at him.  
  
"Nothing! Not if you're going to be like that!"  
  
"Well fine! I won't give you your gift!" I smiled at him.  
  
"Okay, okay, okay!" Ginny was being entertained by us arguing and Harry was staring at Ginny. He snapped out of it a second later and joined the conversation.  
  
**********  
  
I was wearing a purple dress with pink stripes on the bodice and I was waltzing with Harry. House elves were on the sidelines singing 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' and Ron was doing cartwheels around me and Harry.  
  
"Hermione! Hermione!"  
  
Harry was shaking me by my shoulders and screaming at me. Then I opened my eyes.  
  
Lavender was shaking me to get up. "Hermione! It's eleven o'clock! Get up!"  
  
"It's eleven?! Oh my goodness it's late!" I threw my covers of the bed and changed into my plain black robes.  
  
I met Ginny in the hallway, both of us grinning.  
  
"Good morning! I thought you'd never get up! I'm starving. Harry and Ron are already in the Great Hall."  
  
"Okay. I had the weirdest dream. It was really freaky."  
  
"Yeah, so did I actually. I was tangoing with Dumbledore and then the roof fell and we all died."  
  
"That's kinda morbid..." The Great Hall was already full of people eating lunch and Ginny broke off to go sit with her fifth year friends.  
  
I sat down across from Lavender and next to Ron. Harry was diagonal from me.  
  
"Hey Hermione." Ron and Harry said at the same time.  
  
"Hey. Do you know what the entertainment will be at the Christmas ball?" Today was finally Christmas and the dream had made me a little nervous.  
  
"I personally won't need any." Ron grinned and Harry laughed.  
  
"Neither will I." Harry and Ron were both eating like there was no tomorrow and spilling food all over the place.  
  
"Where are you people going? You're making a mess..."  
  
"Oh! Um... er... nowhere." Harry elbowed him. "Quidditch practice!" He looked down at his plate and his ears turned bright red.  
  
"Reeeeaaly." I had no doubt they were lying but I didn't push it.  
  
After lunch, I met up with Ginny again and we went outside. We were sitting by the lake and talking about the ball later today.  
  
"It'll be fun. But I'm a little nervous. At least I don't have second hand robes this time."  
  
"I love your robes! There brilliant! Mine are okay though too. I only started being nervous after the dream I had." I continued to tell her about the strange dream until it started to rain like mad so we covered our heads and ran for it.  
  
Two hours later we were in Ginny's dormitory getting ready for the Christmas Ball. I slipped my dress robes over my head and turned around so Ginny could tie the back up.  
  
"Hermione! I love these! They're so beautiful! Ron will have a heart attack!" She laughed at the thought and tied the final bow of the dress robes.  
  
"Yours are much better, not that I'm complaining. I'm rather fond of these robes."  
  
"I like mine too. But I really like yours."  
  
My robes were more of a muggle dress because it was fitted at the waist and chest and went out from the hips. They were dark blue satin with thin gold and silver trimming around the edges and hems. The reverse side of the dress laced up with silver piping, leaving most of my back bare and the sleeves flared out, ending in the silver and gold ribbon. I did like the dress but it kinda made me look like some kind of comet or something...  
  
I finished putting on the hair straightening gel and brushed it out. Id used practically the whole bottle and my hair was board straight and shiny.  
  
"Ron will probably wear like, jeans or something. That'd crack me up!"  
  
"I think you're required to wear dress robes but that would so funny! I think Harry would like to do that too... he hates being in anyplace where anyone might notice him more than anyone else."  
  
"He should be used to that! He walks into a room and there's this big awed silence. Unless he knows everyone or Malfoy's in the room."  
  
Ginny frowned. "Malfoy isn't near as bad as he used to be, you gotta admit. He's almost nice these days."  
  
I squirmed uncomfortably. I knew that Draco Malfoy had chosen the light side and was now a spy for Dumbledore into his fathers actions but I hadn't been able to tell anyone, not even Harry and Ron, about that because it was said that the less people that knew about it would mean the least danger of Lucius or another Death Eater using a truth serum and finding out that Draco was a spy. Plus I knew that Harry and Ron would refuse to believe that Draco was actually on our side and was actually a spy for Voldemort.  
  
"Yeah. I know. It's weird." I hoped I sounded convincing.  
  
Harry's P.O.V.  
  
As was tradition, all of the Gryffindor guys were sitting in the common room, waiting for the girls to come down and accompany them to the Ball. I had been waiting for twenty minutes when a door opened for the hundredth time, and I hope it was Ginny this time.  
  
I craned my neck around the try and see farther up the stairs. I saw Hermione and very shortly after, Ginny.  
  
I noticed for a split second how pretty Hermione looked then all my attention was taken by Ginny. She was breathtaking. Literally. She was wearing a flowing white satin gown that shimmered slightly as she moved. The sleeves and the bottom flared out, ending in blue ribbon.  
  
Her hair was halfway down her back and flowing with the tiniest of curls and wavys mixed in with the straightness.  
  
All the rest of the guys that were left started cheering just as they had all the other guys as there date came down and I had thought it funny at the time but I sincerely wished they would stop.  
  
"Hey Harry. Let's go." Ginny didn't look perturbed in the slightest by the cheering and Hermione was laughing.  
  
I stopped staring and closed my mouth. "You look beautiful." That's the best I could say.  
  
She smiled. "Thank you." She took my hand and all but led me out of the common room with Ron and Hermione close behind.  
  
No one had been permitted to see the Great Hall before the time of the Ball and I was looking forward to seeing it even better than the regular Christmas decorations were amazing on there own.  
  
We were at the entrance to the Great Hall and Ron and Hermione went in before us. Following them, we entered what was previously the Great Hall and now appeared to be nothing short of an ice palace.  
  
The floor had been changed to oyster white marble that reflected the light of the hundreds of icicle candles and the colors of the different dress robes. Most of the space was devoted to dancing room but there were two long tables to either side of the room where the less exuberant couples were sitting. The ceiling was reflecting the millions of stars surrounding the crescent moon and it was a sharp contrast against the violent white of the floor.  
  
Ginny looked as awed as I felt. "It's amazing. I've never seen anything like it before!"  
  
"It's nothing to you. But yes, it's quite beautiful." She blushed and we started dancing. I wasn't the greatest dancer. I remembered some of the steps vaguely from fourth year but Ginny was mainly leading.  
  
"The Great Harry Potter doesn't know how to dance?" She said in mock surprise.  
  
"The Great? Where do you get The Great? Have you been talking to Colin again?"  
  
"No. Colin is a bit weird ya know..."  
  
I did know. Colin had become even more obsessed with me over the years and it was a little creepy, not that he wasn't a nice guy. Just a little insane.  
  
"No kidding. Who's that with Malfoy? I don't recognize her."  
  
"Neither do I. Maybe she's in Ravenclaw. Someone we never see."  
  
"Oh yeah, Malfoy's really likely to go out with someone other than a Slytherin."  
  
"Good point. But let's not talk about Malfoy."  
  
"How about us?"  
  
"huh?"  
  
I paused and took a deep breath. This was something I had been meaning to ask about and it had been wearing on my mind more and more these days. "I know this is in a long time but what are we going to do when I leave school? If the war is still on I mean. If it wasn't it wouldn't be a problem."  
  
She looked at me intensely for a few seconds as if carefully thinking about her reply. "Well, we'll have to write and see eachother when we can. There's nothing else we can do." She frowned. "You don't want to end it do you?"  
  
"No! Of course not! It just seems like a problem."  
  
"Well then, were not going to call it off. It will be sort of a problem but that's why were going to kick Voldemort's ass." She said it seriously but I knew it was joke. Although that was my hope as well.  
  
"He's goin down!" we laughed and continued dancing to various songs before sitting down next to Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Hey Hermione. Hey Ron."  
  
"Hello." Both of them said.  
  
"Have you figured out who it is with Malfoy?" It figured that Ron would want to know what Malfoy was doing and then blame something on him.  
  
"No. It's not a Slytherin though, I don't think. Which is really weird."  
  
She was almost as tall as him, with black hair and wearing blood red robes that looked rather striking on her, I had to admit. Her hair was straight and was flowing halfway down her back loosely. " I bet he's up to something." It may have been my imagination, but Hermione looked rather uncomfortable for a moment before changing the subject.  
  
"We should take a walk. Get some fresh air." She dragged Ron from the chair and we followed, hoping it wasn't to cold outside.  
  
The front doors opened creakily and it was obvious that no one else was out on the grounds. The ground was covered lightly with a thin layer of glittering snow and more was falling from the sky, landing in Ginny's hair and making it shimmer even more than usual.  
  
"This is pretty-"Ginny stated but the rest of her sentence was cut off by a violent whoosh of wind that carried her voice away from me.  
  
"Ron! Hermione!" I couldn't see them anymore and I really wanted to get everyone back inside to the warmth of the Great Hall.  
  
Ginny's hand slipped out of mine and I whirled around, hoping I could still see her. I couldn't. The sound of the snow and wind was deafening now, and seemed to be circling around and around me, trying to consume me.  
  
Out of nowhere it stopped. The snow, the sound, the coldness. It all stopped. I looked wildly around and saw Ron and Hermione a hundred or feet from me, looking scared and bewildered. Ginny was to my left, on the ground and halfway covered in snow.  
  
Before I had a chance to move and help Ginny, I heard a small and indistinct voice that could have been mistaken for my imagination if it had not been in Parsletongue. "Only a warning, only a warning. True danger shall come soon enough." It faded away and I was shaking as I helped Ginny up from the ground and ran to the doors with Ron and Hermione and Ginny.  
  
We stood, panting in the great hall.  
  
"What the hell was that all about? That could not have been natural." Ron was holding on to Hermione and looking at me questioningly.  
  
"I have no idea. That scared the shit out of me though." I had instantly decided not to tell Ron about the voice that had promised 'true danger', knowing it could only cause more worry and concern.  
  
Hermione was looking at me skeptically and I had the sneaking suspicion she didn't believe me entirely. Our robes were slightly wet but Ginny's were the worst.  
  
"We should just go back to the dance." I dried myself off and everyone followed suit.  
  
On reentering the Great Hall, few people noticed us come back in and we continued dancing as if nothing had happened. Malfoy was gone, along with the girl that had been his partner.  
  
Ron P.O.V.  
  
I was slightly shaken from the events outside and I was still a bit cold. And confused. It had seemed like Harry wasn't telling us everything and Hermione seemed reluctant to talk about Malfoy. What was going on? Malfoy hadn't said a sneering remark for along time now and I didn't understand that. Was it possible he had chosen our side? No, that was impossible. Malfoy was a Malfoy and nothing could change that. Plus I would know about it. Nothing fit together! Malfoy was far from rude these days, random, violent snowstorms that only happened in the area right around us and I just knew Harry was keeping something from me. I decided not to think about it. There was nothing I could do about it right now anyways. Malfoy was gone and we were all dancing normally, as if that had not happened. I was quite happy to go back to looking at Hermione and talking to her.  
  
Some time later we were all sitting on the sidelines, watching some couples (and some people that had come without dates) dancing to the fifth fast song in a row we'd all had enough for the time being and were talking about the N.E.W.T.s.  
  
"I'm going to start studying after Christmas break, you can never prepare too much. I'll get a head start and know my stuff better for next year so when I study next year it'll be simple review." Hermione was deadly serious about the N.E.W.T.s. I'd heard her talk about the importance of them more than all the teachers put together.  
  
"You're crazy Hermione! You have over a year and you're like WOOO STUDY NOW! It makes no sense!" Ginny looked a mix of humored and disgusted.  
  
"I've got to agree that's a little crazy. I'll study next year really hard and I will do good. I will be an Auror." Harry's desire to become and Auror had increased considerably since the war rose up and Voldemort got more powerful.  
  
Suddenly a light, calming melody came on and Hermione almost had a heart attack. "I LOVE THIS SONG!!! It's from this muggle movie Anastasia it's so pretty! She dragged me out to the dance floor and we started dancing slowly again, the break obviously over. After the initial shock of being dragged ruthlessly from my seat, all the other people in the hall slowly dissolved away. The music echoed around us...  
  
Dancing bears, painted wings  
  
I'm surprised Hermione doesn't have wings.... She could be an angel...  
  
Things I almost remember  
  
There was no war in this world, there was no death or pain or loss or fear... I could almost remember the other world... it had a lot of problems... but a lot of beauty. It had nothing on this though.  
  
And a song someone sang...  
  
This would always be my day, no matter what happened, no matter who won or lost or what the world comes to, this would be my day, my day with Hermione.... My December, and my song.  
  
Once upon a December  
  
The music came to a stop and Hermione's smiling face was no longer alone in my field of vision. Other faces filtered in, other noises. It was a harsh reality.  
  
"Did you like that song? I think it's the best."  
  
"It is beautiful. I liked it a lot." I always have been good at understatements...  
  
We sat very close together and watched all the people and couples walk by and watched as Harry and Ginny continued to dance to the slow songs that were playing. " This one's a Disney song to! From Beauty and the Beast!" She smiled reminiscently. "I used to watch this movie, then rewind it then watch it again. I would do that all day sometimes. I still know all the words to the songs." She laughed  
  
"That's funny. This song seems cute to..." I fell silent and listened  
  
There's something sweet  
  
And almost kind  
  
But he was mean and he was course and unrefined  
  
But now he's dear  
  
And so... special  
  
I wonder why I didn't see it there before  
  
"Those muggles are sure good at writing sweet love songs... what happens in the movie?" My dad had briefly explained how a TV and VCR worked over the last summer so I knew what I was talking about.  
  
"Well this really selfish, really greedy prince had this huge castle with dozens of servants and slaves and nice clothes and a warm bed at night. One night there was a really bad rain storm and an ugly old lady came to his door and begged for shelter in exchange for a single red rose. He laughed at her and sent her away; she warned him but he sent her away again and right in front of his eyes she turned into a beautiful sorceress and she told him that he should never judge people by their looks alone and she cursed him so that he was transformed into a horrible beast unless he could find someone he truly loved and who loved him in return. The rose the old lady had offered him was an enchanted rose and the last petal would wilt and fall on his twenty first birthday and he had until that time to find love. Belle finds her way to the castle and they slowly fall in love, after a whole bunch of problems of course... you'll never find a plot like that in the wizarding world."  
  
I was gawking at her... "Wow that is good, who are the actors or whatever there called in that movie?"  
  
"It's animated." She noted his blank expression and elaborated. "It's drawn, frame by frame and flashed by you so it appears to be moving. To put it simply. They have way better ways now but when that movie was made, that's how they did it." She was still smiling faintly and I pulled her into a hug and leaned back against the wall.  
  
It was fun to sit there and enjoy the music with Hermione. Harry and Ginny seemed to never stop dancing and every now and then I'd catch a wisp of music; they seemed to be having a muggle marathon or something.  
  
You showed me the world  
  
When I was all locked up inside  
  
You gave me your hand  
  
And took me on a magic carpet ride  
  
Ginny's P.O.V.  
  
A fast, muggle song was playing and no one was really dancing, just spinning around madly and laughing. I was more a mosh pit than anything.  
  
"Have you ever heard this song before? It's from a Canadian band Simple Plan I stole this CD from a store once after Dudley gave me his old CD player."  
  
"I like the words they're awesome." We linked hands and spun around really fast, knocking into other people doing the same.  
  
I'D DO ANYTHING!  
  
JUST TO HOLD YOU IN MY ARMS!  
  
TRY TO MAKE YOU LAUGH  
  
SOMEHOW I CAN'T PUT YOU IN THE PAST!  
  
I'D DO ANYTHING  
  
JUST TO FALL ASLEEP WITH YOU  
  
WILL YOU REMEMBER ME  
  
CAUZ I KNOW  
  
I WON'T FORGET YOU.  
  
Even though I could tell her was having fun, it was obvious Harry had something else on his mind 


	3. In Dumbledore's Office

Okay thanks to:  
wormfoot: thank you I will write more and I hope you meant it  
Jacqueline Hawkins: that was really nice thanks a bunch I feel so much  
better now If I didn't thank you for the review you sent me then I didn't get it in  
time and ill mention it on the next chapter Authors note: DUDE!!!!!! I saw the Butterfly Effect and that is the weirdest movie iv seen in my whole life even though it was good I guess and it doesn't hurt that Ashton Kutcher is hot plus his teenager version in the movie is hot to so okay im done now.... I want ice cream... I think ill get some... and by the way I don't own Harry Potter DUH  
DUDE people review even if you want complain about me wasting your time by posting my story! I need reviews! (  
  
Holy crap there's a poem that's an important part of the story in this chapter and I WROTE IT MYSELF and if I see anyone taking I will hunt you down and I will be... very angry... okay sorry that poem was hard to write so I  
felt I had to threaten the people that might take it  
  
Chapter 3  
In Dumbledore's Office  
Harry's P.O.V.  
"Shut up please!!!!! I need to finish this report right now!!!!" I tried to mentally tell the first years in the corner that were giggling loudly to shut up. There subconscious ignored me. It was the last day of Christmas holidays and I needed to get this one last potions assignment done. I still needed to find out what gorlocks were, what they are used for in potion making, and their living habits. What did their living habits have to do with potion making? Why would anyone care?  
  
"Hi Harry. What are you working on?" Someone said to me and I turned around to rip their head off. But it was Ginny.  
  
"Oh hi Ginny I thought you were on of those obnoxious first years they won't stop giggling and I can't handle it. I need to get this potions essay done by tomorrow!" I leaned over the huge volume of Animals in Potion Making and skimmed the next article.  
  
"Oh sorry I'll just sit here quietly and write a letter." Ginny set her bag down by an armchair and sat down with a roll of parchment and a quill.  
  
Oh no, now I'm going to be distracted by Ginny. She's so beautiful. NO! Gorlocks gorlocks gorlocks.... Concentrate on the gorlocks!!!! I was concentrating, concentrating, I found something! Yes! Gorlocks were small, flying, furry, animals that were distantly related to pixies, about the same relation as humans and apes. When they shed their fur, the fur could be used for veritaserum, and other strong truth potions along with engorgement potions. You could tell how old a gorlock was by what color its fur was, as its fur was a different color every time it shed its skin.  
  
The more healthy a gorlock was the stronger the potion ingredient its fur would make, so depending on how strong you wanted the potion to be, you could find a gorlock in different places, either the arctic or at rainforest climate. The youngest color is a dark, blood red and if its shiny and smooth then it means the gorlock is healthy. I like red hair...I looked up at Ginny. It looks so pretty when it's in the light. It looks like wine. I can't wait until the next Hogsmeade weekend. Whoa!!!!!! Gorlocks, Gorlocks, Gorlocks!!!!! Write Potter write!!! Get the essay done then you can think about Ginny!  
  
Twenty minutes later I was finally done with the stupid essay.  
  
"WOOO! I'm done! Do you want to go outside for a while?" It wasn't  
snowing anymore and we could wear our cloaks.  
  
"Okay, let me go get my cloak." Ginny smiled and raced up the stairway. I myself already had my cloak with me from going outside earlier and put my stuff away in my bag and stuffed it under the couch, not wanting to go all the way up the stairs to put it away.  
  
"Okay I'm back." Ginny wasn't wearing her normal black school cloak, but a light blue one made with a soft, kind of furry material. It was pleasant to the touch and made Ginny's hair stand out even more.  
  
"Where'd you get this? I like it, it's soft." Ginny smiled and wrapped it around her to emphasize her point.  
  
"I love it to, to bad I can't wear it normally since it's not black, but anyways my mom and dad got it for me from Madame Malkin's, it wasn't seconds hand or anything."  
  
"It's nice. Do you have all your homework done?"  
  
"I got all the homework I was assigned done when break first started. 'cause now I don't have to worry about it and i..." Ginny blushed, "have more time to spend with you." By now we were outside and it was, in fact, snowing. Hundreds of tiny white flakes floated gently about us and landed on our clothes, then quickly melted. The snow that was already on the ground glittered and crunched beneath our feet and little puffs of steam came from our mouths as we spoke.  
  
"Why thank you, I'm so loved!" I put my arm around Ginny's waist and we walked in silence to the edge of the lake. It looked dark and sinister with only the edges frozen, and as it went further out it got darker and looked like an endless black hole.  
  
"I wish Dumbledore would freeze the lake so we could ice skate on it. I don't know why he wouldn't." Ginny looked out over the lake and smiled. The thing I wished for most right then was that I could freeze the lake just for Ginny. It'd be worth it even though I knew why Dumbledore didn't freeze the lake.  
  
"I think it's because the people that made mass ice freezing spells never really thought that there could be a danger in it so they made it really easy to be undone, so if Dumbledore froze the lake there'd be no way to protect it more than a little bit so the Death Eaters could undo it when we were all on the lake." It was a depressing thought; things were getting so bad that we couldn't even trust people enough to go ice skating on the lake. When had people turned into such power hungry war mongers? When had people gotten so bad that we had to lock our doors and not give rides to poor people that needed them, in fear of them being someone dangerous?  
  
"I think I'll just pretend Dumbledore wanted to keep it natural. It's much more pleasant." Ginny laughed softly, a beautiful tinkling sound that I had become addicted to over the past while.  
  
"Me to. I'll pretend that there's no reason to be scared. What? What war? What are you talking about?"  
  
Ginny laughed again and I grinned. She looked thoughtful. "I'll pretend there's no reason to be scared of getting owls in the morning, just because they might say one of your family members was killed or another attack had happened."  
  
"I'll pretend that everyone is pretty much good and no has the random, twisted urge to hurt or kill people."  
  
"Well that pretty much would clear everything up. Let's talk about something different." Ginny grinned almost evilly. "Like Ron and Hermione."  
  
"That was bloody hilarious the day Ron wanted to ask Hermione to the Ball, I thought he was going to choke to death before he got it out! I almost bust a gut laughing. Well it worked out at least..." Ginny was laughing again.  
  
"I didn't figure it out for a while but then I was like 'hey! He's not almost wetting himself in front of her' so I asked Hermione and she told me about it." Ginny was grinning and it was making me grin too. "So, what's happening on the Quiditch front? Is practice going well?"  
  
"Yeah pretty much Ron of course is much better he's not quite as good Wood but I'm not complaining." I looked at the ground and watched the fallen snow sparkle.  
  
An hour and a half later me and Ginny were back in the common room, where the obnoxious first years still were, giggling and laughing as loudly as ever.  
  
"I just heard one of those first years say your name." Ginny looked highly amused by this but it bugged me to no end. She strained her ears to hear more.  
  
"Ginny seriously I don't really want to know what they're saying... NO! Don't tell me!" "They said-" "Ginny!" "That you were the hottest bloke in school!" I groaned. "You're so cruel."  
  
Ron's P.O.V. This was the life! With Hermione and I didn't feel like a complete freak. I hadn't felt this normal around her since the fourth year...wow think of how much I'd been missing.  
  
"The ball was fun, don't you think?" Hermione looked content as she asked it but her face quickly turned to a frown, "Have you thought of what happened outside? I didn't really want to bring it up after it happened but I know there was more to it than what we saw. I think something happened to only Harry, something we couldn't hear or sea because the look on his face when the snow cleared..." She trailed off and looked at me for an answer.  
  
"I thought about it, yeah. But I didn't want to bring it up either; Harry looked really stressed as it was." I thought about what had happened and remembered the whisper of the wind that had sounded a lot like a voice. I pushed the thought away.  
  
"I think I'll try and look into it for a bit, I'll see ya later." Hermione got up and kissed me on the cheek.  
  
"Okay Mione, see you later." Hermione smiled and walked out the door and turned left.  
  
Sometimes I felt very bitter towards the library... Im about ready to have an inferiority complex because she'll go to the library for anything. What exactly is she going to look up? Random snow storms that scare the bejeesus out of your friend that has plenty to be scared of, yet he rarely acts like it?  
  
Now that I was practically alone in the empty classroom there was nothing to do. Maybe I could find Harry and Ginny. Or maybe I could find Harry alone and somehow bring it up. Not that he'd talk about it.  
  
Hermione's P.O.V. I felt bad leaving Ron, I really didn't want to and the library was incredibly boring next to Ron, plus it smelled odd. But there was something at the corners of my brain so to speak. Something poking at my brain that told me I needed to find something important, something I'd already found in fact.  
  
The only problem was I had no idea where to start. I started in the Dark Arts section, the one that wasn't restricted. It was the history of dark arts mostly, the spells and potions and such being in the Restricted Section; and quite a bit of the history was on Voldemort, even though his time only covered maybe twenty years about. Well I shouldn't just look through that stuff; the older books might be more helpful.  
  
Ten minutes later I had a dozen or so books on a table, all about the history and of the Dark Arts and people that practice the Dark Arts.  
  
Okay, first book. The Three Major Figures of Dark Arts: 123 B.C.-378 A.D. I flipped to the back for an index and to the front for a table but there was no listing of what was inside, or even the three major figures were. There was a chapter index though, but the titles said nothing.  
  
I briefly perused each of the thirteen chapters, looking for anything that could have anything at all to do with our situation. Nothing.  
  
Second book. The Young Voldemort. There were three chapters in the book, titled, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. I shook my head. Some wizard obsessed with muggles that knew nothing about Voldemort had written it, and titled it after a muggle movie. The man described the young Voldemort as tall and heavyset with blonde hair and blue eyes. Supposedly everyone looked up to him and he was extremely popular, captain of the quiditch team and top in everything. It went on to describe how everyone pressured him to much and by the time he was twenty three he was sick of everyone and went on a political rampage, which slowly turned into a full on killing war, leading to the entire world fearing him.  
  
As far as I knew none of that was true, he was tall, thin, brown haired, and off-the-wall evil by the time he was 16.  
  
It went on like this for some time until I had three books left. The one I was reading now looked more promising than the rest, old, dusty and written in old English. It didn't seem to be a history of the Dark Arts so much as a collection of Seer prophecies, all regarding dark wizards and events, wars, people that would turn bad, and even things that seemed to be muggle related.  
  
Yvonne Donefrio stated on July 30th, of the year 1200 that in 739 years a great war of the non-magic folk will commence, a war that will involve many of the nations of the world. "All of them will fight, all of them will lose some amongst their ranks, and one nation will win, against the greater odds of the tyranny of one mad man."  
  
I thought about it a moment. World War II. How odd. I read through page after page of events I couldn't identify, maybe that didn't even happen, and some that I did. Like the uprising of Herdano, another of the dark wizards that had tried to take over. Page after page after page until I came to one a little after halfway through.  
  
The Prophecies of Palponoff Senior. On midsummer night's eve, in 1208, Sir Trinity James Palponoff predicted:  
  
Of a Flame and in the night.  
  
Love will prove that all is right.  
  
A heart will fly.  
  
To one below.  
  
A light will shine.  
  
The river flow.  
  
If it is true.  
  
The heart will be one.  
  
If not strong enough.  
  
The dark side will have won.  
  
A boy of raven.  
  
A girl of flame.  
  
Will have to burn the light.  
  
One or the other, other or the one.  
  
Will be the victor whether he be wrong or right.  
  
The sun will shine.  
  
Or the dark overtake.  
  
The world's next step.  
  
To this love has faith.  
  
Be a curse or be a wish.  
  
To each the other will have his wrath.  
  
But the one that shows compassion.  
  
The one that lets the other live.  
  
The one that shows he knows how to love.  
  
To him a great gift God will give.  
  
You must understand that its not both at once.  
  
You must understand that its one of the above.  
  
Either one or other one will live to see the rest. . Either one or other one will finish this great test.  
  
Only one will show the compassion.  
  
Only one can live this through.  
  
Only one will have a great love.  
  
To make the light shine through.  
  
I stared at the page. This was almost scary, no this was scary, this was huge! This almost explained what would happen between Harry and Voldemort! Well, maybe it wasn't Harry... other things could mean boy of raven... but what about girl of flame? That could so easily be Ginny. I was almost having a heart attack as I ran to the front counter to check the book out.  
  
Up three flights of moving stairs, through countless hallways and to the stone gargoyle I went. Then I realized I didn't have the password. Harry had told me of Dumbledore's candy passwords so I started spouting rapid fire candies, even muggle ones.  
  
"Pumkin pasties, licorice wands, Bertie Bott's, Skittles, milyway, Three Musketeers, gummi worms, bubble gum, ice cream, twix-"as soon as I said Twix the stone gargoyle came alive and smirked at me before getting out of my way.  
  
"That's right you get out of my way! This is important!"  
  
As soon as I reached Dumbledore's office I rapped on the large wooden door. A split second later Dumbledore opened his door and I almost pounded his nose in.  
  
"Professor! I'm so sorry! But I found something incredibly important that I need to show you right now!"  
  
"Come in, come in, start immediately." The powerful old man strode across the room and sat down at his desk, with his fingertips together in front of him.  
  
"Well-",I walked across the room too, with the book flipped open to the page and put it down on his desk. "Read that prophecy. It's from way before Cassandra Trelawny's time, and it's way more detailed.  
  
The bright blue eyes raced over the page and a flash of emotion flashed across his face. A mix of fear and... relief?  
  
"this certainly does describe our case much clearer than Cassandra's version does, assuming it has anything to do with Harry Potter. Who do you suppose could be the girl of flame?" Dumbledore looked highly amused and I had to admit it was rather funny.  
  
"Ginny of course. Figures, half the things that Harry's been involved with Voldemort in had to do with Ginny also. The Chamber of Secrets, Ministry of Magic last year..." I remembered back to the Ministry of Magic, me and Ron might not have lived through that without Luna and Ginny.  
  
"Yes. I thank you greatly, this may help us a lot, but I ask you not to tell anyone of this. You may leave if you wish to."  
  
I did just that. I wanted to tell someone so badly but I knew I had to do as Dumbledore said, or someone thin bad would happen or something would go wrong.  
  
I was almost to the portrait of the Fat Lady when I ran into someone, still thinking about the prophesy. "Oh I'm sorry I wasn't watching where I was going!" The person was bathed in shadows and I couldn't quite tell who it was, even they looked familiar. The person still had me by the shoulders, as I had almost fallen backwards.  
  
"Obviously!" I knew immediately who it was. The voice dripped with contempt and arrogance, spitting out the words as if they tasted bad. It was the voice that scorned me in the hallways enough to drive a person to madness, the voice that taunted my friends and insulted my family. The voice that hated my house, my bloodline, my friends and everything else about me. And I could say the same for it. But a split second after it said that, his shoulders drooped and he started to speak again. "I'm sorry, I had something else on my mind and I wasn't paying attention either, I didn't mean to be rude."  
  
Malfoy was in the light now and he didn't look mocking, he looked sincere. I had no earthly idea what to say. Malfoy had never said anything anywhere near an apology or nice comment on the six years I had known him. I was completely speechless.  
  
"Um... that's alright, I'm fine... I wasn't really paying attention either. Thank you."  
  
"No problem, sorry again." Malfoy gave me the tiniest of smiles, not a sarcastic smirk but a true, genuine smile. His face looked much different with this smile on his face, I liked it. He didn't look so much like a vampire.  
  
"Bye." I gave him a small smile in return and watched him walk the length of the corridor and around the corner.  
  
That was the weirdest thing I've witnessed in my entire life... who kidnapped Malfoy and possessed his body? Or maybe he truly is becoming nicer... it could be, I haven't talked to him since before break started. I shrugged, oh well I guess I'll find out later, maybe when classes start again tomorrow.  
  
Around the next corner I ran into yet another person, only this time it was Ron. "Oh hi, you're the second person I've collided with in the last sixty seconds, I'm sorry I had to leave you, but I just had to look around."  
  
Ron grinned, and put his arm around my shoulder, "That's fine, I love to randomly dash off to the library too. I do it all the time."  
  
I swatted his arm. "Oh shush." I was glad he hadn't asked if I had found anything, I'm a horrible liar and I couldn't tell him.  
  
"Well let's go sit in the common room with Harry and Ginny, Ginny teasing Harry about the first years that are talking about him, its bloody hilarious. They keep on talking about how hot he is..." Ron shook his head.  
  
"Okay, sounds good, but don't you want to go to the library?" He looked at me and I kept a completely straight face, but only for a second before cracking up. "I'm just kidding, calm down; we're going to the common room."  
  
Ron looked relieved. It was so easy to tease him. For a second I had almost forgotten about Malfoy but it popped into my head again once we got to the portrait hole. I decided not to mention it to Ron; he'd immediately think that Malfoy was out to kill me or something.  
  
Malfoy's P.O.V. After almost running Hermione over, I went on my way to the kitchens to get some food. I tried not to think about anything until I got back up to the astronomy tower with my chocolate and bread, an odd mix of foods I always got when I went to the kitchens.  
  
As I sat with my back on the cold stone balcony, I was reminded of being thrown to the floor by my father, and the thud of my mother's body next to me.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"DRACO!" I heard my father's voice boom through the manor, and I could tell he'd been more angry than almost every before. It used to be that when my father got angry he'd bring me into his room and talk to me; sometimes he'd yell but not often. He'd tell me why he was angry and tell me not to do it again, sometimes he'd punish me with chores, or not being able to do anything, or when I was littler he'd take my toys away.  
  
But after my father got more and more involved with the Dark Lord, he got more and more distant, finally becoming a horrendous monster that used his fist and the back of his hand to prove his point. After a while the man I looked up to and planned on following became the man I hated and feared, wishing that me and my mom could live peacefully without him. My mother was a happy woman, but after my father got worse, she got worse. But never to me. She always smiled, with all the new bruises and cuts, the pain I knew must come along with them. I almost never got the blow. My mother almost always intervened.  
  
"Yes father!?" I shouted back, playing dumb. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad this time. Maybe it was over something stupid and the volcanic like anger would dwindle away before someone got hurt.  
  
"COME HERE RIGHT NOW!! YOU WILL REGRET THIS!" I licked my lips and dashed through the corridors, knowing if I made him wait it could only get worse.  
  
I slowed outside the door to where my father was, trying to compose myself and not give him my appearance to scream about too. My eyes widened. My mother was already on the floor, but as I walked in she pushed herself up and smiled, it hurt me so much to watch her like this.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" He waved a peace of parchment around wildly and I had no idea what he meant by it. I hadn't done anything bad that I could think of and all my marks in school had been pretty good.  
  
"I don't quite understand you..." I walked over to my mom and stood in front of her, still keeping eye contact with my father.  
  
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND ME?! How can you not know what I'm talking about?" After the first sentence his voice dropped to a deadly pitch. This was the tone that he always used right before he blew up and hit my mom or me. I was determined it would not be my mom that time. No more.  
  
"Well I don't know what the piece of paper says so why don't you tell me?" I knew right when I said it that I had made a mistake. Lucius's eyes widened in madness, and he dropped the parchment and came forward, pulling his wand out as he went.  
  
My mother tried to push me aside but I kept her behind me, and pushed her against the wall with my back, with me between my father and her.  
  
"Trevinsolia!" My father shouted the curse, and it flew toward me in a flash of white light. As soon as it hit me I felt a sharp pain go all through me and then stop, after I fell on the floor. It was somewhat like the crucio curse, only not an unforgivable and it didn't cause continuous pain.  
  
My mom picked me up and put me behind her, I tried to stop her but I hadn't quite regained my strength.  
  
"Avada Kadavra!" My father shouted another curse and every thing turned into slow motion. I reached up and grabbed my moms arm, trying to push her to the side. It took me a fraction of a second to figure out what the curse meant and by then it had hit my mother. There was nothing I could do, I watched her fall in normal speed to the floor and hit the ground with a bump. No way to go back and change it, no way to help her, no way to stop my father. For all I knew he was going to kill me next.  
  
"Don't be frightened Draco. I don't plan on doing anything to you, but your mother was getting week. I know she was about ready to turn to Dumbledore and tell him all she knew. But you still have a place in the Lord's circle; you still have great chances for a life with the mightiest. You are a Malfoy after all."  
  
I couldn't even say anything; I just stared at him.  
  
*END FLASHBACK*  
  
I never did find out what had caused my mothers death, afterwards Lucius had thrown the parchment into the fire, never to speak of it again.  
  
I hated anything that had to do with Voldemort after that and the only thing that kept my father from kicking me out was that it would look suspicious and be bad on the family name. Especially after the suspicious death of my mother which was blamed on a potion accident.  
  
Half my chocolates were gone and I started thinking about other things. Hermione came to mind and I almost laughed. I kind of regretted spending the last six years being her mortal enemy. In that one moment she had seemed like the nicest person I'd ever met, when she didn't know who I was at least. But even after she knew who I was and I apologized she immediately brushed away six years of insults and scorn and apologized to, plus she smiled at me. How could someone be so forgiving?  
  
Well I'd probably never be friends with them or anything but I might as well not be enemies, as I was on their side now. Even though no one knew that. I'd argued with myself over whether to go to Dumbledore, not being able to decide if he'd believe me or not. And even if he did believe me, I didn't think Potter or Weasley would. Granger might, she doesn't hold a grudge near as much as them. And Potter's girlfriend Ginny probably wouldn't kill me... at least.  
  
The stars were already in different places and I gazed up at them. My legs and my back were numb but somehow it seemed much better than going back to the even colder dungeons and chambers of the Slytherin common rooms.  
  
Crabbe and Goyle snored so loud it could drown out the sounds of rampaging hippogriffs and whenever they woke up they followed me around until the point where I was about ready to strangle them.  
  
Pansy Parkinson might even be waiting up for me, and I could stand her even less than I could Crabbe and Goyle. She never stopped trying to win me over and no matter how rude I was to her she'd always come back and try again.  
  
My thoughts became more scattered... I think I'll tell Dumbledore... nothing to lose... astronomy homework...Hermione... Potter... Weasley... Lucius... mother... My eyelids got heavier and heavier until I couldn't keep them open and I drifted off into a deep, cold sleep.  
  
My eyes snapped open. It was light out, although barely and as I rolled over I came to find that someone had put a blanket over me. I frowned. It better not have been Parkinson. But then I smiled fondly... maybe it was Granger.  
  
Yeah okay that took forever and a day to write, not that anyone's even reading this but heeeey I can dream!  
  
Hoped you liked it REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE ILL LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!!!!! AND EVER!!!!!!  
  
Damn the world to hell I have to go back to school tomorrow my three day weekend is quickly coming to an end. 


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